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List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom

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The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the principal minister of the crown of His Majesty's Government, and the head of the British Cabinet. There is no specific date for when the office of prime minister first appeared, as the role was not created but rather evolved over a period of time through a merger of duties.[1] The term was regularly, if informally, used of Robert Walpole by the 1730s.[2] It was used in the House of Commons as early as 1805,[3] and it was certainly in parliamentary use by the 1880s,[4] although did not become the official title until 1905, when Arthur Balfour was prime minister.

Modern historians generally consider Robert Walpole, who led the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain for over twenty years from 1721,[5] as the first prime minister. Walpole is also the longest-serving British prime minister by this definition.[6] By the same consideration the first prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was William Pitt the Younger at its creation on 1 January 1801.[7] The first to use the title in an official act was Benjamin Disraeli, who, in 1878, signed the Treaty of Berlin as "Prime Minister of Her Britannic Majesty".[8]

In 1905, the post of prime minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence,[9] with the incumbent Henry Campbell-Bannerman the first officially referred to as "prime minister".

The first prime minister of the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon its effective creation in 1922 (when 26 Irish counties seceded and created the Irish Free State) was Bonar Law,[10] although the country was not renamed officially until 1927, when Stanley Baldwin was the serving prime minister.[11] The incumbent prime minister is Rishi Sunak, who assumed office on 25 October 2022.

Before the Kingdom of Great Britain[edit]

Before the Union of England and Scotland in 1707, the Treasury of England was led by the Lord High Treasurer.[12] By the late Tudor period, the Lord High Treasurer was regarded as one of the Great Officers of State,[12] and was often (though not always) the dominant figure in government: Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (lord high treasurer, 1547–1549),[13] served as lord protector to his young nephew King Edward VI;[13] William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (lord high treasurer, 1572–1598),[14] was the dominant minister to Queen Elizabeth I;[14] Burghley's son Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, succeeded his father as Chief Minister to Elizabeth (1598–1603) and was eventually appointed by King James I as lord high treasurer (1608–1612).[15]

By the late Stuart period, the Treasury was often run not by a single individual (i.e., the lord high treasurer) but by a commission of lords of the Treasury,[16] led by the first lord of the Treasury. The last lords high treasurer, Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1702–1710) and Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford (1711–1714),[17] ran the government of Queen Anne.[18]

From 1707 to 1721[edit]

Following the succession of George I in 1714, the arrangement of a commission of lords of the Treasury (as opposed to a single lord high treasurer) became permanent.[19] For the next three years, the government was headed by Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, who was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department.[20] Subsequently, Lords Stanhope and Sunderland ran the government jointly,[21] with Stanhope managing foreign affairs and Sunderland domestic.[21] Stanhope died in February 1721 and Sunderland resigned two months later;[21] Townshend and Robert Walpole were then invited to form the next government.[22] From that point, the holder of the office of first lord also usually (albeit unofficially) held the status of prime minister. It was not until the Edwardian era that the title prime minister was constitutionally recognised.[23] The prime minister still holds the office of first lord by constitutional convention,[24] the only exceptions being Lords Chatham (1766–1768) and Salisbury (1885–1886, 1886–1892, 1895–1902).[25]

Since 1721[edit]

Prime ministers[edit]



Disputed prime ministers[edit]

Due to the gradual evolution of the post of prime minister, the title is applied to early prime ministers only retrospectively;[23] this has sometimes given rise to academic dispute. William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave are sometimes listed as prime ministers.[99] Bath was invited to form a ministry by George II when Henry Pelham resigned in 1746,[100] as was Waldegrave in 1757 after the dismissal of William Pitt the Elder,[101] who dominated the affairs of government during the Seven Years' War. Neither was able to command sufficient parliamentary support to form a government; Bath stepped down after two days[99] and Waldegrave after four.[101] Modern academic consensus does not consider either man to have held office as prime minister;[102][failed verification] they are therefore listed separately.

List of disputed prime ministers of the United Kingdom since 1721
Portrait Prime minister
Office
(Lifespan)
Term of office Mandate[a] Ministerial offices held as prime minister Party Government Monarch
Reign
Start End Duration
William Pulteney  
10 February
1746
12 February
1746
3 days
Whig Short Lived George II
George II of Great Britain
r. 1727–1760
James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave  
8 June
1757
12 June
1757
5 days
Waldegrave

List notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Legend for the
    Mandate
    column:
    1722
    a year
    indicates a general election won by the government or that led to the formation of a government (the year links to the election's article);
    (1830)
    a parenthesised year
    indicates an election resulting in no single party winning a Commons majority (the year links to the election's article);
    a dash
    indicates the formation of a majority government without an election;
    (—)
    a parenthesised dash
    indicates the formation of a minority or coalition government during a hung parliament.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Died in office
  3. ^ Pitt served as a Member of Parliament for Bath for the first five days of his premiership (30 July – 4 August 1766). He relinquished his Commons seat in order to take the office of Lord Privy Seal, which required his elevation to the House of Lords.
  4. ^ Pitt contested a different constituency in the 1784 British general election.
  5. ^ Disraeli was elevated to the House of Lords in 1876, two years into his second premiership. Consequently, he relinquished his Commons seat as MP for Buckinghamshire.
  6. ^ Douglas Home disclaimed his peerage as the Earl of Home on 23 October 1963. He was elected an MP on 7 November 1963.

Timeline[edit]

Rishi SunakLiz TrussBoris JohnsonTheresa MayDavid CameronGordon BrownTony BlairJohn MajorMargaret ThatcherJames CallaghanEdward HeathHarold WilsonAlec Douglas-HomeHarold MacmillanAnthony EdenClement AttleeWinston ChurchillNeville ChamberlainRamsay MacDonaldStanley BaldwinAndrew Bonar LawDavid Lloyd GeorgeHerbert Henry AsquithHenry Campbell-BannermanArthur BalfourArchibald Primrose, 5th Earl of RoseberyRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyWilliam Ewart GladstoneBenjamin DisraeliHenry John Temple, 3rd Viscount PalmerstonGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of AberdeenEdward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of DerbyJohn Russell, 1st Earl RussellRobert PeelWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount MelbourneCharles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonF. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount GoderichGeorge CanningRobert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of LiverpoolSpencer PercevalWilliam Grenville, 1st Baron GrenvilleHenry Addington, 1st Viscount SidmouthWilliam Pitt the YoungerWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of PortlandWilliam Petty, 2nd Earl of ShelburneFrederick North, Lord NorthAugustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of GraftonWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamCharles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of RockinghamGeorge GrenvilleJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of ButeWilliam Cavendish, 4th Duke of DevonshireThomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of NewcastleHenry PelhamSpencer Compton, 1st Earl of WilmingtonRobert Walpole

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Hennessy 2001, pp. 39–40.
  2. ^ Stephen Taylor ODNB.[full citation needed]
  3. ^ Castlereagh 1805.
  4. ^ Eardley-Wilmot 1885; Macfarlane 1885.
  5. ^ Clarke 1999, p. 266; Hennessy 2001, pp. 39–40.
  6. ^ BBC News 1998.
  7. ^ Burt 1874, p. 106; Castlereagh 1805.
  8. ^ Bogdanor 1997.
  9. ^ Marriott 1923, p. 83.
  10. ^ Law 1922.
  11. ^ Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927.
  12. ^ a b Chisholm 1911f.
  13. ^ a b Pollard 1904.
  14. ^ a b Chisholm 1911a.
  15. ^ Chisholm 1911c.
  16. ^ Chapman 2002.
  17. ^ Fisher Russell Barker 1890; Stephen 1890.
  18. ^ Morrill 2018.
  19. ^ Chapman 2002, p. 15.
  20. ^ McMullen Rigg 1899.
  21. ^ a b c Chisholm 1911d; Chisholm 1911e.
  22. ^ Chisholm 1911b; McMullen Rigg 1899.
  23. ^ a b Leonard 2010, p. 1.
  24. ^ UK Government 2013.
  25. ^ Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, p. 413; Locker-Lampson 1907, p. 497.
  26. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 1, 5; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 1–5; Pryde et al. 1996, pp. 45–46.
  27. ^ Cook & Stevenson 1988, p. 41; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 14; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 7–10; Jones & Jones 1986, p. 222.
  28. ^ Cook & Stevenson 1988, pp. 41–42; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 17; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 11–15.
  29. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 28; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 16–21.
  30. ^ Cook & Stevenson 1988, p. 44; Courthope 1838, p. 19; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 34; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 23–26; Schumann & Schweizer 2012, p. 143.
  31. ^ Cook & Stevenson 1980, p. 11; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 28; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 16–21; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 46; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  32. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 36; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 28–31; Jones & Jones 1986, p. 223; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  33. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 42; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 33–35; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  34. ^ a b The British Magazine and Review 1782, p. 79; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 46, 50; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 39–43.
  35. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 54; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 45–50; Kebbel 1864, p. 143; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  36. ^ Courthope 1838, p. 9; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 61; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 52–56; Venning 2005, p. 93; Vincitorio 1968, p. 156.
  37. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 64; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 58–62; Whiteley 1996, p. 24.
  38. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 73; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 64–68; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  39. ^ Cook & Stevenson 1980, p. 11; Courthope 1838, p. 25; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 77; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 69–74; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  40. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 85; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 75–78; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  41. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 94; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 83–85; Styles 1829, p. 266.
  42. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 85; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 75–77; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  43. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 98; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 90–92; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  44. ^ Courthope 1838, p. 25; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 77; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 69–74; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  45. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 101; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 98–101; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  46. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 106; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 104–108; Evans 2008, p. 4; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47.
  47. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 116, 133; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 110–115.
  48. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 120, 133; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 118–120.
  49. ^ Courthope 1838, p. 33; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 123; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 124–130; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47; Shaw 1906, p. 447; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  50. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 128; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 133–139.
  51. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 136; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 141–143.
  52. ^ Courthope 1838, p. 33; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 123; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 124–130; Evans 2001, p. 471; Mahon & Cardwell 1856, p. 17; Shaw 1906, p. 447.
  53. ^ a b Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 142; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 148–153.
  54. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 136; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 141–145; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47.
  55. ^ a b Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 151; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 155–160.
  56. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–164.
  57. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 159, 167; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 169–174; Royal Society of Edinburgh 2006, p. 375; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  58. ^ Disraeli 1855; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 174; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 177–184; Royal Society 2007, p. 349.
  59. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–164; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  60. ^ Balfour 1910; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 174; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 177–184; Royal Society 2007, p. 349.
  61. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–167; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  62. ^ Disraeli 1868; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 183; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 187–189; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  63. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 196; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 195–198; Royal Statistical Society 1892, p. 9.
  64. ^ Chamberlain 1884; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 183; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 187–192.
  65. ^ a b c Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 196; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 195–202; Royal Statistical Society 1892, p. 9.
  66. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 213; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Mosley 2003, p. 3505.
  67. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 213; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Locker-Lampson 1907, p. 497; Mosley 2003, p. 3505; Sandys 1910, p. 287.
  68. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 222; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 212–215.
  69. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 213, 221; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Mosley 2003, p. 3505; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47; Sandys 1910, p. 287.
  70. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 231; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 217–221; Mosley 1999, p. 173; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  71. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 239; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 223–227.
  72. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, p. 5; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 244; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 229–235; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  73. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 6–9; The Constitutional Yearbook 1919, p. 42; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 252; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 237–243.
  74. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 262; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 246–248; Scully 2018.
  75. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–255; Mosley 1999, p. 172.
  76. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 281; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 262–264.
  77. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–259; Mosley 1999, p. 172.
  78. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, p. 13; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 281; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 262–268.
  79. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–259; Mosley 1999, p. 172; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  80. ^ The Annual Register 1941, p. 11; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 289; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 270–274.
  81. ^ The Annual Register 1946, p. 11; Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 17–21, 77; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 295; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 276–282; The London Gazette 1924.
  82. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 305; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 284–289.
  83. ^ BBC On This Day 2005; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 295; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 276–282; The London Gazette 1924; Mosley 1999, p. 1868; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  84. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 315; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 291–295.
  85. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 320; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 297–303.
  86. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 329; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 306–310; Scully 2018.
  87. ^ a b Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 333; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 313–320.
  88. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 343; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 322–328; UK Parliament 2005a.
  89. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 350; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 331–333; UK Parliament 2005b.
  90. ^ Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 358; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 340–347; UK Parliament 2013.
  91. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, p. 61; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 384; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 350–352.
  92. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 270; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 392; Seldon 2007, pp. 77, 371, 647; UK Parliament 2017b.
  93. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 86; UK Parliament 2012.
  94. ^ Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 65; Lee & Beech 2011; Royal Communications 2016; Wheeler 2016.
  95. ^ BBC News 2017; Stamp 2016; UK Parliament 2017a.
  96. ^ BBC News 2019; Kuenssberg 2019; UK Parliament 2022.
  97. ^ BBC News 2022a; Nevett & Whannel 2022; UK Parliament 2024a.
  98. ^ BBC News 2022b; Nevett 2022; UK Parliament 2024b.
  99. ^ a b Carpenter 1992, p. 37.
  100. ^ Leonard 2010, p. 47.
  101. ^ a b Leonard 2010, p. 65.
  102. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2011.

Works cited[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]